Presidency: Israel’s withholding of clearance funds is piracy and collective punishment for all Palestinians

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Presidency today condemned the Israeli occupation government's continued seizure of the Palestinian clearance funds, stressing that this measure is piracy and collective punishment of the entire Palestinian people, and warning of its serious consequences on the services provided by the Palestinian government to all sectors, specifically the health sector which is suffering from a serious decline in the services provided to the people, in addition to the education sector and all aspects of life. It also stressed in a statement that 'Israel's decision to deduct funds allocated to Gaza amounts to a war crime," stressing that "the State of Palestine will not abandon its people, whether the detainees, the martyrs, or all of Gaza's needs, and will never stop transferring Gaza's due funds, and will continue to carry out its duties to our people in Gaza in the areas of health, education, water, electricity, and salaries of Palestinian government workers.' The Presidency called on the US ad ministration 'to oblige Israel to stop these policies and crimes committed against every Palestinian because it is the only party capable of doing so.' It stressed that the US administration 'also bears direct responsibility for supporting the policy and the continuation of the war and the withholding and the stealing of the funds of the Palestinian people who face aggression, famine and destitution in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.' Source: Palestine News and Information Agency